Sunny bright, turquoise sea and fragrant scrubland… Corsica makes one dream, but one still needs to afford its charms without breaking the bank! After several summers where attendance declined and rental prices soared, the island of Beauty seems determined to reverse the trend. So, between regained attractiveness, professionals’ strategies, and cautious spending by holidaymakers, the big question remains: will Corsica manage to entice once again, despite the wallets’ vigilance this summer?
Corsica, often dubbed the island of Beauty, has been experiencing upheavals in its tourist attendance for a few summers now, largely due to increasing concerns regarding costs on-site. Despite a notable decrease in the average spending and heightened competition between traditional accommodations and private rentals, several signals suggest that the trend might reverse. With improved air and sea services, the desire to spread out the season, and an attractiveness that does not fade, Corsica could very well become one of the flagship destinations of the summer again, even though challenges and questions persist.
Corsica: between renewed interest and price shift
After several seasons in the doldrums, the question energizes all professionals: will Corsica regain its appeal this summer despite concerns about costs? Last year already, a strong signal appeared from the mobility side: rental car prices in Corsica began to decrease, placing cities like Ajaccio and Bastia among the most affordable in France. Tourists, long held back by soaring prices and a sense of disaffection for the island in high season, could thus return in force.
Moreover, the trend seems to confirm this tremor. According to the chamber of commerce and industry of Corsica, bookings, both for airlines and maritime companies, are on the rise. The figures are here: 134 routes, 18 companies, 11 countries served, and 190,000 additional seats compared to the previous year. Just for the month of April, Bastia airport recorded a 20% increase in passenger traffic. Enough to bring smiles back to tourism stakeholders… at least apparently.
The flip side: purchasing power in decline and market changes
Despite this expected influx of visitors, caution remains essential. For while tourists seem to be returning, they are spending less. Corsica still remains a destination perceived as expensive and this reputation weighs on the average spending, which is in continuous decline. Benoît Chaudron from UMIH Corsica warns: bookings in traditional hospitality remain stable, but stays are shorter, budgets tighter, and spending slowing down. The hunt for deals drives holidaymakers toward new solutions, such as private rental platforms.
This wave, far from being unique to Corsica alone, raises many concerns among hoteliers, who see 147,000 beds in their sector competing with more than 181,000 beds in declared tourist rentals. Jean Dominici from the CCI regrets that professionals do not see in their establishments the volume of visitors indicated in global indicators. Stakeholders in the sector are demanding fair treatment regarding taxes and legislative changes, to avoid being penalized against this alternative offer that cannibalizes an increasing share of the market.
The situation in Corsica is not isolated: in Europe, many destinations today have to juggle with the rise of private rentals, sometimes at the expense of the coherence and sustainability of their tourism model, as can be seen through certain feedback.
A mass tourism and peaks to tame
Corsica traditionally attracts nearly 3 million tourists annually. In August, the peak reaches around 450,000 people, an impressive figure when one knows that the island has only 350,000 inhabitants. This record attendance, concentrated mainly on the coasts during July-August, puts significant pressure on the environment, infrastructure, and the quality of the experience offered.
To counter the negative effects of this seasonal concentration, local decision-makers have been encouraging tourism dispersal for several years. The ideal? Vacationers spread throughout the year and across the entire territory, allowing everyone to gently discover the most beautiful panoramic roads in Corsica and to better enjoy the island’s preserved nature.
Strategies to attract a more balanced (and profitable!) tourism
To maintain allure, it is no longer enough to wait for tourists… One must now go get them! The strategy adopted by the Corsican Community focuses on strengthening air connections from key cities like Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg, or Toulouse, but also from Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, England, and Italy. The idea: to open the destination to new markets beyond the French clientele, outside of peak season.
The Corsican Tourism Agency actively supports this strategy, embodied by the vision of its president Angèle Bastiani, whose orientations for the next season can be explored here. Among the objectives: improve accessibility, develop off-season offers, and promote tourism that is kind to nature and the local population.
One of the avenues considered to strengthen competitiveness: developing the business tourism segment, which is gradually gaining ground, notably around Bastia. To understand the stakes and the interest for the island, one can consult this insight on the business destination Bastia.
Corsica, a destination under tension but full of promise
So, at a time when every euro counts, will Corsica be able to entice the summer crowd again without sacrificing its soul? Professionals aspire to better regulation, equitable sharing of economic returns, and adaptation of offers to new traveler expectations. The equation is not simple, but the island of Beauty has more than one asset up its sleeve: breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and now, management policies that are fine-tuning to preserve its attractiveness over time.
